There are several premium smartphones available today, all competing to become the most popular device among consumers. Apple’s iPhone 4S and Samsung Galaxy Nexus are two of those models that are very evenly matched in terms of performance and specs. We take a look at the camera features offered with these phones and see how they stack up.

Samsung has chosen to install a 5 megapixel camera on its Galaxy Nexus device. Although this installation offers high image quality, it is a lower resolution than many rival phones offer. Samsung makes up for the lower resolution by installing the camera with an excellent sensor chip that helps the model produce better results than many other supposedly better models. The model provides the user with a simple interface with many of the most advanced camera features hidden until they are needed. The phone does not have a dedicated shutter key, so you have to touch the icon displayed on the screen to capture your image. One thing we noticed about this model is that the shutter speed is incredibly fast, so images are captured the moment you touch the screen. This is where many camera phones disappoint, as there is often a lag between pressing the shutter and the photo that is captured. A number of additional features accompany the camera, including manual controls for white balance and exposure compensation. There are also several preset scene modes that can be selected for different shooting conditions.

The new iPhone 4S offers numerous improvements over the iPhone 4 and the updated camera feature is one of the most notable. The phone now has an 8 megapixel camera which is a 3 million pixel improvement over its predecessor. Apple has also updated the lens and sensor used in this model, making it one of the best phones for photography available. Unlike the Galaxy nexus, the phone has a physical shutter key which is the volume up button. This is a great addition as it keeps your fingers away from the screen when trying to perfectly frame a photo. The iPhone doesn’t offer as many additional settings as the Galaxy Nexus, but there is a great HDR mode available. When this mode is activated, it takes three identical snapshots at different exposure levels and combines them to give an excellent final result. This latest model also offers some basic editing features that allow you to perform simple tasks like removing red-eye and cropping the image size.

Both models offer excellent camera facilities and are two of the best models available for still photography. The Galaxy Nexus has more optional configurations than the iPhone 4S, but ultimately, the Apple device produces the highest final image standard.